Jakarta. A Chinese diplomat said Wednesday that its recent military parade that President Prabowo Subianto had attended was not meant to convince the Indonesian leader -- and other foreign guests -- to sign an arms purchase deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted 26 world leaders, including Prabowo, to Beijing last week for a parade aimed at commemorating the 80th year of Japan’s defeat at the end of World War II. Xi even had Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by his side as guests of honor. The military parade was the biggest of its kind in China, showcasing a wide range of missiles and drones. The J-10s -- the same fighter jets that Beijing has offered to Jakarta -- also flew over Tiananmen Square parade that day. 

The Chinese Mission to ASEAN gathered Jakarta-based reporters and analysts for a briefing on the parade on Wednesday. The Jakarta Globe asked if Beijing was hoping to secure some fresh defense deals by showing its military might in front of the heads of state. Geng Hailing, the mission’s counsellor in charge of the media, told the Globe that it was not Beijing's intention.

“It [the parade] is not a showcase. It’s nothing about a business,” Geng said in Jakarta.

“It’s about our responsibility, strength, and determination to safeguard peace, stability, and the development of the world,” she said.

The envoy stated that the parade was a way for China to show the world its “unwavering resolve to uphold the post-war international order”. Geng also called Prabowo as “one of the very important guests” at the event, citing Indonesia’s regional and global importance. 

When Prabowo jetted off to Beijing, speculations arose that Indonesia was inching closer to buying the J-10s, the Chinese multi-role combat aircraft.

Prabowo -- a former defense minister -- has been seeking to modernize Indonesia’s military equipment. In his first year as president, Prabowo already bought 48 of the Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets.

This major purchase deal is already on top of a separate agreement for 42 French Rafale fighter jets, with the first unit set to land in Indonesia early next year. Jakarta is also already co-developing the KF-21 -- another combat aircraft -- with South Korea, a partnership that has its own challenges.

Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto said that Jakarta was actually open to the J-10s. 

“If these jets meet our criteria and are affordable, why not?” Donny told the press in June, as reported by the state news agency Antara. 

Prabowo also held bilateral talks with Xi during his Beijing trip. According to a Chinese government statement, Xi had told Prabowo that they should “make good use of the 2+2 dialogue mechanism” between their foreign and defense ministers. Xi also sought a deeper defense cooperation with Indonesia, without going into more details.

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